Will multiple states’ non-cooperation be too much for ObamaCare?

posted at 6:01 pm on November 12, 2012 by Erika Johnsen

The answer, of course, is an emphatic yes, since by its very nature, ObamaCare is too much for ObamaCare, but individual states’ freedom to opt out of designing their own state-specific health insurance exchanges is turning out to be yet another flaw in the oh-so-masterful plan.

Last week, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that the government is extending the deadline by which states must submit their blueprints for their exchanges, meant to be tools with which consumers can shop around for insurance options, but all states must still indicate whether they’re planning on doing it themselves, forging a partnership with the feds, or letting the federal government do it for them, by this Friday.

Certain states have been wrestling with the decision — to try and do the best they can for their state with the new normal, or let the federal government lie in the bed it made for itself? Phil Klein, among others, thinks that states shouldn’t acquiesce; Washington is going to end up making all of the really important decisions anyway, so why even invite the appearance that the states have any meaningful control over what’s going on or take any of the pressure off the feds? Several states have declared flat-out that they will not be participating, and there are plenty more with misgivings — seventeen states or more may end up fully relying on Washington for their exchanges.

Which could be kind of a major problem for the federal government; WaPo has the skinny on how much work it is to set up these insurance exchanges, and if the federal government has to manage all this… that’s a lot of bureaucrats.

“These are systems that typically take two or three years to build,” says Kevin Walsh, managing director of insurance exchange services at Xerox. “The last time I looked at the calendar, that’s not what we’re working with.” …

These marketplaces often get described as a Travelocity or Expedia for health benefits. While that might be the case for the consumer experience, experts say the underlying technology is hugely more complex, a maze of interconnecting computer systems meant to deliver health insurance to 30 million Americans.

“The reality is, states and the federal government are building something new,” says Pat Howard, who runs state health issues for consulting firm Deloitte. “There’s a rough blueprint in terms of federal regulations, but there’s still a number of decisions that need to happen to operationalize this.”

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Excellent, Since there are now more GOP Gov’s now after the election I see more states opting out. I hope mine does because already I pay 5400 a year with a flexible spending account to cover deductables and non covered items. I like what I got. No need to change for me.

My state is going to go along with it. No question about it. Our AG who was part of the suit against Obamacare was running for Governor, but he lost to an absolute idiot. My state is going to go even further down the financial cliff. We will be another CA soon.

The Republican Governors are the last line of defense against the Marxist Messiah’s destruction of the Healthcare Industry. The Question is, How many are eSTAB repubs, that will betray the people and how many are Patriots, who have the best interest of the people in mind? The eSTAB repubs will sell us out, just like the Congress critters are doing! They are the same Traitors that are doing their “Dog & Pony Show”, acting like they’re going to do something, but are just covering for the Traitor-in-chief! The prrof is in the innumerable amount of Voter Fraud that took place, yet they will not talk about it. you can also see it in the distractions, they are throwing up on Benghazi, rather than dealing with the Treason of Arming Al-Qaeda! If you’re stupid enough to trust any eSTAB repub, you deserve the Knife in the back, they are setting you up for!
Fight the Obama Enemy media or Kiss The Constitution Goodbye: http://paratisiusa.blogspot.com/2012/09/an-open-letter-to-those-who-should-know.html?spref=tw

Latest is that Florida, having stood up against this all year, is now talking about caving in. Perhaps its just Tallahassee’s acceptance that Florida is becoming more and more left wing with the continuing migration of Northerners into our state. These “good folks” come down looking for warm weather and bring the same ridiculous liberal ideas that destroyed the Northeastern states.

Excellent, Since there are now more GOP Gov’s now after the election I see more states opting out. I hope mine does because already I pay 5400 a year with a flexible spending account to cover deductables and non covered items. I like what I got. No need to change for me.

jake49 on November 12, 2012 at 6:09 PM

I recently got notice that the FSA is now capped at $2500. That effectively translates into a new tax on med expenses. I was putting aside the max. Now I’ll have to pay the balance after taxes.

People, federalism can defeat Obmacare and the progressive agenda. Click my username for all my writings on how federalism can be our tool in the fight.

Below is a letter I sent via snail mail to ALL GOP governors last Friday. Everyone needs to take some action.

. Dear Governor,

I am writing as a deeply patriotic American, a veteran, a husband, a father, and someone who loves this country too much to give up on it.

I, like many conservatives, am extremely disappointed in the outcome of the election; I believe if conservatives don’t act to stop the president we will emerge from his last four years as a socialist country with only a thin veneer of free market capitalism and individual liberty remaining.

Having become quite intimate with the Constitution over the last several years I believe our ‘salvation’, if you will, is the 10th Amendment and a return to federalism.
The Founders, as you well know, didn’t seek to establish an all-powerful central government with the power to dictate how we free citizens manage our lives, and I refuse to submit to such a government. I demand to retain my God given right to take care of myself. I will not become a subject whose life is directed from cradle to grave by a smothering nanny state.
The Founders, in their infinite wisdom, included the 10th Amendment in the Constitution to explicitly state that those powers not specifically enumerated to the federal government were to remain with the states and the people.

Since the Wilson era, and possibly since the end of the Civil War, the federal government has usurped more and more of the states’ rightful powers and over time reduced the states to little more than administrative units of the central government. This centralization more than anything is responsible for much of the gridlock and acrimony in DC as the liberal and conservative world views clash over how large and intrusive the federal government ought to be. The Liberal agenda of redistribution, ‘fairness’, equality of outcome, et al cannot succeed without the centralization of power.

So much of what comes out of the federal government today and since the New Deal is grossly unconstitutional and well beyond their enumerated powers.
Obamacare is perhaps the best, most recent example of unconstitutional legislation; in spite of the SCOTUS ruling.

Now that Obama has been reelected Obamacare is likely to become permanent until such time it, and other programs, collapses the welfare state. Since Obamacare is without a doubt unconstitutional, I believe that it is well within the 10th Amendment powers of the states to reject it and to prevent its implementation within their borders. Without cooperation from the states it cannot survive.

I believe that it is well past time for the states to reassert their constitutional powers to rein in the federal government, protect their citizens from the rapacious predations of the socialists that have taken over the Democrat party, and to seize back those powers that have for so long been usurped.

The beauty of federalism is that it allows the states to compete with each other to limit government, limit taxation, and allow states’ residents to mold their state governments to best suit their needs. With the usurpation of so many states’ prerogatives that system has broken down. Now the impact of Nevada electing a Harry Reid has serious repercussions to me as a citizen or Arkansas. It wasn’t supposed to be this way.

I am writing to all GOP governors, the Republican Governors Association, and as many TEA Party groups as possible in the hope that I can get someone, anyone, to take up the banner of conservatism, Americanism, the Constitution, and the reestablishment of self-determination and liberty through the use of the 10th Amendment. I hope that We the People can count on you to be one of the leaders of this movement.

When all this started to take shape back around 2007 or 2008, I thought “no need for universal healthcare, just provide catastrophic insurance for the uninsured”. Sure it’ll cost something, but it’s there to save lives, not medicate hypochondriacs.

I seem to be doing all the wrong calculations, recently. It’s Nov 12th, is 0bama president or did I wake up from the nightmare?

There are a handful of state governors with balz that may not go along to get along. The rest will fold like a cheap lawn chair. Count on it. Best thing we can now do as Pubs. is kill the beast. Let the fkg Pub. party die. Time for a conservative party. We need to primary every Pub. incumbent in 2014. They are useless.

If GOP governors refuse to implement the exchanges an the House can cut way back on the HHS budget Obamacare can’t get off the ground. There has to be significant coordination and cooperation between the RGA and House GOP.

I think it is time that as conservatives we should seize one of the lefts favorite tactics and go Cloward-Piven in Obamacare. Let’s shove this all to the Feds and then demand they comply with each and every one of their requirements in the 2,000+ page bill and the 15,000+ pages of rules.

I’m not convinced that our progressive masters even want ObamaCare to succeed. They’ve got more intrusive and statist plans in the wings just waiting for this one to fail because the only solution to heavy handed state solutions is even more heavy handed state solutions.

How many states or towns reject federal education dollars despite that it imposes tons of rules and the money amounts to less than 5% of their budgets? The question here is will bureaucrats in some states leave money on the table even knowing in the end it will cost them if they do take it? The answer is not many. There are jobs a plenty for cronies and relatives in those exchanges. They will get implemented, everywhere.

I’m not convinced that our progressive masters even want ObamaCare to succeed. They’ve got more intrusive and statist plans in the wings just waiting for this one to fail because the only solution to heavy handed state solutions is even more heavy handed state solutions.

gwelf on November 12, 2012 at 6:35 PM

Of course. Their backup plan is single-payer socialized medicine British style. If Obamacare destroys our system of healthcare, they win that way too.

I live in a solid red state GA and we’re not signing on for the time being but I’m not holding my breath. Our Gov Nathan Deal is a good ole boy politician and Im not that thrilled with Saxby Chambliss or Johnny Isakson either. The only person representing me I have any faith in is Phil Gingrey my rep. I hope the fact that they rammed it through without having any idea what was in it comes back to bite them in the butt but they will never admit their progressive policies dont work. They will double down with single payer if they can.

Avoiding the expense of exchanges that the States don’t control is a good reason all by itself, but there are ALOT of other reasons as well as we see in Cannon’s piece. Congressional Republicans should sit back and let them wallow in their mistakes too. They passed this mess on a partisan basis… let them fix it themselves. They didn’t need us then, they don’t need us now. Our States don’t HAVE printing presses. They don’t have the luxury of not bothering to make a budget for three years. They can skip the exchanges and skip the Medicaid expansion and call it good fiscal sense.

Its time to roll out the single payer. This is the best way to control cost and ensure all Americans are getting the best health care available to them.

HotAirLib on November 12, 2012 at 6:51 PM

You know if the government wasn’t in the business of health care it wouldn’t cost anything. You and your fellow socialists, especially the hundreds of thousands of extremely wealthy socialists could if you wanted, start a charity to assist people who need financial help for their medical care.

But you don’t, and won’t, because you really don’t give a flying shyt about other people. Liberals are the greediest, most selfish people on the planet. Every single one of your dreams and desires requires the power of government to steal from others and give to you.

I absolutely agree. When I was growing up, 60 years ago, my parents had Blue Cross which just covered hospital. They paid the doctor in cash. In those days the doctor came to your house when you were to ill to go to the office, like when my sisters and I had the measles. My mother would just write him a check. That’s the way it should be now too. Just hospital insurance, instead of coverage for everything including hang nails.

Last week, Health and Human Services Secretary and Christian-hating partisan whore (emphasis mine) Kathleen Sebelius announced that the government is extending the deadline by which states must submit their blueprints for their exchanges, meant to be tools with which consumers can shop around for insurance options, but all states must still indicate whether they’re planning on doing it themselves, forging a partnership with the feds, or letting the federal government do it for them, by this Friday.

Let me make this as clear as possible. Public policy and laws are never perfect in their first iteration but Obamacare is unworkable. It was crafted by the filthy Dems without any real debate- remember you have to pass it to see what it says? The GOP attempted to provide a level of sanity and Nancy Pelosi responded by locking them out of the conference by literally changing the locks on the door. Even you Obama moochers should be against Obama care, but of course, you are moochers which means that you are stupid greedy people with no value to society but invaluable to the Democrat party. I can’t begin to tell you how much I hate you all. You’ve destroyed America and you don’t care so long as you don’t have to pay for condoms.

Mark Levin mentioned on his show that it is possible for the Speaker to be a non-elected individual. As I understand it, he asked Scott Walker, who refused.

Someone on RedState proffered the idea of Newt.

Now, before you blast me, hear me out.

Whatever you have to say about Newt, he did keep Clinton in check. He has the guts and the parliamentary know-how to make Obama’s life a nightmare. That jerk would go to bed on edge, and wake up after a short, restless night, interspersed with nightmares about amphibians, to wake up dark ‘n early and find out all sorts of horrible things Gingrich had dreamed up for him over night.

I think it’s worth a try…

The more chaos Obama has to deal with, the more time he spends on defense. The more time he spends on defense, less time he has for offense.

Its time to roll out the single payer. This is the best way to control cost and ensure all Americans are getting the best health care available to them.

HotAirLib on November 12, 2012 at 6:51 PM

Most idiotic idea already proven VERY WRONG by USSR, Cuba, North Korea and others.

DOES NOT WORK. Even after almost 80 years of trying.

Trust someone who lived with it already. And PLEASE, do not EVER bring this up again.

I, along with hundreds of thousands of us, SURVIVORS of this FAILED EXPERIMENT ON HUMAN SUBJECTS, will be more than happy to go on TV and explain, IN DETAIL, how this is the last thing any thinking human should want.

I don’t know how true this is but someone in RI who owns a small business and is just getting started but has no employees yet was told he needed to start paying into a health care savings account in the event the he eventually does have employees.

To HAL: You would want us covered under this? Please read the hilighted aspects, and seriously THINK about that for which you ask.

Universal health care — sometimes referred to as universal health coverage, universal coverage, universal care or social health protection — usually refers to a health care system which provides health care and financial protection to all its citizens.

It is organized around providing a specified package of benefits to all members of a society with the end goal of providing financial risk protection, improved access to health services, and improved health outcomes.

Universal health care is not a one-size-fits-all concept; nor does it imply coverage for all people for everything.

Universal health care can be determined by three critical dimensions: who is covered, what services are covered, and how much of the cost is covered.

Which ALL would lead to RATIONING!!

I suggest you read the British news from time to time and get the gist of single payer HC… You are sorely lacking in facts…

Just a snippet for you HAL:

Don’t treat the old and unhealthy, say doctors:
Doctors are calling for NHS treatment to be withheld from patients who are too old or who lead unhealthy lives.

Daily Telegraph (London)

Smokers, heavy drinkers, the obese and the elderly should be barred from receiving some operations, according to doctors, with most saying the health service cannot afford to provide free care to everyone.

Fertility treatment and “social” abortions are also on the list of procedures that many doctors say should not be funded by the state.

The findings of a survey conducted by a Doctor magazine sparked a fierce row last night, with the British Medical Association and campaign groups describing the recommendations from family and hospital doctors as “out rageous” and “disgraceful.

About one in 10 hospitals already deny some surgery to obese patients and smokers, with restrictions most common in hospitals battling debt.

Managers defend the policies because of the higher risk of complications on the operating table for unfit patients. But critics believe that patients are being denied care simply to save money.

HAL: Could anyone of your family members or friends fall into any one of these categories eh?

He’s a moocher. A parasite on society. A taker. He doesn’t care so long as others are productive so the filthy bastard is able to enjoy the entitlement programs designed as assistance but turned into a lifestyle choice.

We lose the popular vote in 4 out of the last 5 elections? Liberals say the whole country hates us? So what the hell, let’s throw a wrench into the machine. With the exception of the really rich Libs, our side has more money and a lot more guns. They call us ugly no matter what, and they act ugly no matter what. Time to get down and dirty. Remember how they set out to destroy Bush the minute he got re-elected? Let’s destroy this piece of dogsh**t, who got re-elected on affirmative action sympathy, not on any real accomplishments. What comes around goes around. I don’t even care if we win in 2016. I just want to destroy all their grand plans. It’s easier to break things than to build them. We’ve been building stuff for ages, and if statists are now in control, then it’s time to start breaking some of their stuff.

I heard a commenter today say if the state refuses to set up an exchange and the feds have to do it, employers will not have to contribute to it. Or something like that. When they wrote it they forgot to include it.

They gave the rule #, but can’t remember it. It would really hurt obamacare.
Will try to get exact info.

Its time to roll out the single payer. This is the best way to control cost and ensure all Americans are getting the best health care available to them.

HotAirLib on November 12, 2012 at 6:51 PM

You mean like the fine folks in NY and NJ are experiencing the magnificent efficiency and best care available from FEMA? Your idea of what is best and mine are nothing alike. But by all means, go for it, it’s on you to make it work.

L.i.B.
Dion on November 12, 2012 at 6:52 PM
I keep seeing this on different sites. What does it mean?!
shades of red on November 12, 2012 at 7:04 PM
Let it burn.
B3 = Burn, Baby, Burn.
davidk on November 12, 2012 at 7:14 PM

I’m crushed! I thought it was movement.

Why are we even visiting this? Didn’t Boehner say this is the law of the land?

My sister-in-law is a member of one of CAN’s major orchestras. Some years ago their conductor-maybe he was a guest conductor-slipped from his spot in front of the podium and hit his head. He was elderly. He was taken to the local ER and had to wait five hours before he was seen by a doctor. Five hours. At the hospital ER near me, a senior w/a head injury would be seen immediately.

First thing that has to change with the 113th Congress. We need a conservative champion not a thinner version of the slobbering traitor Chris Chistie who called Obama to congratulate him but sent an e-mail to Mitt Romney. We need a Republican version of Tip O’Neil- an individual willing to get in the face of the enemy over issues. Boehner is not that individual. He couldn’t even deliver Ohio to the GOP.

Along the Let It Burn line: Since it is well established that conservatives are far and away the biggest donors to charity, what would happen if we all stopped all donations to charity? I would not want my charitable contributions to go to Obama voters. I worry that with this screwed up mess, someone in my own family might need help, either from losing a job or getting sick and having to be sneaked out of the country for medical care. Even the coming inflation and whatever else we have to look forward to, makes me feel the need to conserve my resources for my family and myself.

Several states have declared flat-out that they will not be participating, and there are plenty more with misgivings — seventeen states or more may end up fully relying on Washington for their exchanges.

Where is Washington going to get the money to fund the subsidies that would be used to purchase insurance in these federally-created exchanges?

In Obamacare, subsidies are authorised only for those individuals enrolled in “an exchange established by the state under § 1311,” but the legislation has no similar language authorising the subsidisation of individuals enrolled within any exchange that the Federal government might create.

How is the Federal government going to provide the subsidies to purchase insurance on the exchanges that some people will be entitled to under other parts of Obamacare without a funding mechanism? The Republican House sure isn’t going to provide it. Sucks to be you, Kathleen Sebelius.

Also, employers are not required to provide health insurance or pay a fine if there is not 1) an exchange in their state, and 2) employees are unable to obtain subsidies from the Federal government.

Maybe, Democrats should have read Obamacare to find out what was in it before they passed it. Just sayin’.